DAWSONVILLE — A head-on collision Thursday afternoon left three Dawson County residents, including an elderly couple, in critical condition.

According to Dawson County Sheriff's Capt. Tony Wooten, the wreck on Hwy. 9 near Veterans Memorial Park, north of Dawsonville, ended with two people being flown to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. A third person was taken by ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.

"While it is still under investigation as to nature of the collision, we do know that a pickup truck struck a passenger car," Wooten said.

All three of the injured were in critical condition, authorities said, with their injuries ranging from burns and cuts to possible broken bones.

The driver of the truck, whose name has not been released, was pulled from the flaming wreckage by a nearby resident, a family member of the driver who had been traveling behind him and two sheriff's deputies, according to Wooten.

The driver suffered severe burns and lacerations, and was flown to Grady.

The male driver of the car was taken by ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, while his female passenger was flown to Grady.

The road was closed for several hours while the Georgia State Patrol investigated the crash.